The statements in this section merely provide background information related to the present disclosure and may or may not constitute prior art.
Delivery truck drivers and salespeople pick up, transport, and drop off packages, food delivery, prescription drugs, and small shipments within a local region or urban area. Merchandise is transported from a distribution center, or local business to other businesses and households. The delivery service is fragmented, unoptimized logistically, and many areas are underserved, and services are limited to certain times of the day and week instead of twenty-four hours seven days a week, year around. The vehicles used in delivery most often do not have storage with a temperature-controlled compartment to carry cold or hot features for temperature sensitive goods, in addition, these vehicles do not have sensors such as weight, temperature humidity, etc. to monitor the environmental conditions of the cargo. Other vehicles do not deliver to the last step or at the door services due to stairs or elevators, they deliver only to the curbside. In addition, drivers and workers have low average wages, and poor benefits. The carbon footprint of the delivery industry is large and has large negative consequences on the environment in congestion and pollution.
There is also a demand for moving small items that do not fit small or medium size cars for consumers. A consumer who buys a chair or a big painting for example has to rent a trailer or a small truck, or alternatively pay for delivery with longer wait times and inconvenient delivery time and higher cost as a percentage of the item purchased.
Therefore, there is a need for a more efficient and convenient system for delivering items or goods from one location to another. The delivery system should be autonomous and reduce the need for human intervention in the task of delivering an item.